Free as a bird
by Hogwarts Online II
Summary: Explore the free writing of Hogwarts online. these are their stories to share. Written for the May Challenge at Hogwarts Online.
1. Dolores Jane Umbridge by Samantha EL

**Title: The Life and Lies of Dolores Jane Umbridge**

**Character: Dolores Jane Umbridge**

**House: Gryffindor**

**Name: Samantha Eleanor Lestrange/ Samantha**

It was almost time for a scheduled detention and Dolores Umbridge was in her office, pacing. That stupid Potter boy, interrupting her class, telling lies. She, Dolores Umbridge, would fix him. How dare a mere student like him go against what the Minister himself has said? The only trouble is, Dolores knew it herself that the Minister of Magic was lying. In fact, she believed the Potter boy.

She couldn't tell this to anyone of course, Dolores was sent to the school to convince everyone it was a lie that You-Know-Who was back (and stop Dumbledore from taking down the Ministry of course). She didn't want to though. Dumbledore was a good man who would never dream of doing something as horrid as revolt. But who was she going to tell? Cornelius would go berserk, maybe even sentence her to Azkaban, and she loved Cornelius too much to do such a thing.

The pacing had stopped and now she was sitting at her desk, looking around her pink office. But why pink? She couldn't stand pink despite what people thought. Her mother always dressed her up in the disgusting colour, leading people to believe it was her favourite. Wrong, completely wrong. Her favourite color was red. Not just any red, blood red. It was one of the few things people didn't know about Dolores.

What they also didn't know was that she was sorted into Hufflepuff, and not Slytherin like her parents wanted. She couldn't remember how many Howlers she received over the next few days. She did remember what the last Howler had said, "_Such a disgrace to the family…We'll make sure we'll straighten you out when you come back for break…" _Dolores shuddered at the memory. She never went home for holiday and by the time summer had come; all was forgotten, by her parents at least. Then they remembered. She was beaten severely.

Her crying went on all night. Her only comfort was seeing her blood, that beautiful shade of shining red. She fell asleep at the thought of the glorious colour. That night, Dolores learned her lesson: she _will _have order, making those bleed if necessary. Today it was necessary.

She took a sip of her tea, placing it back on the saucer when she heard a knock. "Come in." she said sweetly. Harry Potter entered her office, clearly appalled by the appearance, and she didn't blame him. Dolores struggled to keep from gagging. But she would see a different colour soon enough.

"You're going to do some lines for me, Mr. Potter." She placed her special quill on the parchment.

"You haven't given me any ink." He pointed out. Dolores gave a small smile, knowing the secret.

"Oh, you won't need any." She heard him sigh and pick up the quill. The scratching of it on the parchment was like music to her ears. And the best part was meant to come.

Soon enough, the sound of Potter's discomfort came. The quill had taken effect. She glanced down and saw the blood on the parchment, that wonderful colour, all lustrous.

The detention was over and Harry Potter left. Dolores took the parchment in her hand and just stared at it. _I must not tell lies, I must not tell lies…. _How she longed to say "You're not lying, I believe you!" but she was lost in the thought of the blood.

She wanted to make sure everyone believed that the Minister of Magic was right, that You-Know-Who was not alive and anyone who said otherwise would face severe punishment. Dolores was willing to make a thousand students bleed if it meant proving her loyalty to the Minister, her false loyalty, but real love.

Did she love Cornelius enough to do this to students? Dolores claimed she hated children. She didn't. The truth of the matter was, she was jealous of the parents and how they got to raise something as precious as children. She said she hated children. No, she hated life.

She had a child once, just before she started working for the Ministry. A baby boy it was and the father left her for another witch. Dolores cried that night when she received the owl, and she cried even more when she went to St. Mungo's for a checkup.

She lost the baby.

Cornelius showed her pity, offered her a job at the Ministry, then this opportunity came years later. She would make these children suffer like she had.

No, she couldn't do such a horrible thing. These children, they didn't deserve this. But it was too late to turn back. How could she get out of this?

An idea came to her head. She would make a deal with the centaurs, have them capture her. It was a perfect plan.

She grabbed her cloak and headed out to the Forbidden Forest.


	2. MrsWeasleyHarry PotterFamily by Kayla

**Title: A simple cup of tea, made with love**

**Characters: Mrs. Weasley/Harry Potter family bonding**

**House: Hufflepuff**

**Name: TheNightShadow4/Kayla**

**XXX**

Mrs. Weasley sipped at her tea, humming with content. It was the perfect temperature, and flavored with just the right amount of honey. There was something to be said about doing things the muggle way. Tea made by magic just didn't taste the same. She knew it was a cliché, but she thought it was because it lacked love.

She had gotten up before anyone else—as was her custom—and was enjoying a few moments of peace before her rowdy family came bounding down the stairs for breakfast. Oh, and her unexpected guest. Though Harry wasn't what you'd call rowdy. He'd been living at the Burrow for less than a week, and was already reminding Molly of a love-starved puppy, so eager to please. And from what Ron told her about his home life, she wasn't the least bit surprised.

The red haired matron's eyes narrowed. What sort of people could lock a twelve year old up like a prisoner? And in the boy's own room too, a place he was supposed to feel safe in! She was shaken from her angry thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. They didn't belong to any of her brood, so she assumed it must be Harry. Realizing it wouldn't be long before everyone got up as well; Molly moved to the kitchen and, with a flick of her wand, gathered the ingredients of biscuits and gravy.

She'd just put the first batch in to bake when Harry ambled in, adjusting the hem of his jumper. She was touched to see it was the one she knitted him last Christmas, and also noted how small it was getting. She'd have to make him a new one once the holidays rolled around, and maybe some socks too.

He grinned at her brightly. "Good morning."

"Good morning dear, did you sleep well?" He nodded, going over to the cupboard and pulling the breakfast dishes out. It was an automatic jester for him, having spent so much time cooking and cleaning for the Dursleys. Mrs. Weasley told him he didn't have to, but helping out made him feel less like a freeloader, and after a few days she let it drop.

'_It's so much better than the Dursleys,'_ Harry thought for what must've been the hundredth time, placing a fork in front of Fred's usually seat. Not only did he get three square meals a day—with seconds _and_ dessert too!—but he was no longer an outsider either. The Weasleys, all the Weasleys, liked him. He could be himself, let is guard down, and talk about things that really mattered to him like Hogwarts and flying.

It was more then he'd ever hoped for.

". . . Harry?"

"Huh?" he was so lost in thought that he missed Mrs. Weasley's question. He halfway expected a scolding, but Molly just dusted her flour coated hands off and repeated the question patiently.

"Would you like a cup a tea, dear?"

Harry wasn't particularly fond of tea, but the morning air was slightly chilly, and it'd be nice to have something warm in his stomach while waiting for the rest of the family to awaken. "Yes, please."

He was surprised when she pocketed her wand and filled the kettle by hand. After placing it on the stovetop to heat up, she opened a draw and fished out a tin of tea leafs. Wandering close, Harry inhaled their aroma, picking up a variety of different herbs.

"I always make tea the muggle away," Molly explained, carefully pouring the now hot water into a plain white china cup. "My mum did too. She taught me when I was a girl. Do you want honey? Sugar? Lemon?"

"Sugar, thanks," Harry took a tiny sip, so as not to burn his tough. Aunt Petunia rarely made him tea, but when she did it was always harsh, thin and bitter (not unlike the woman herself). This was completely different: warm, fragment and sweetened to perfection. He took another, deeper drink. Funny how a simple cup of tea could make him feel so . . . he didn't even know how to describe it, but it was just about the best feeling in the world.

He raised his head, wanting to thank Mrs. Weasley again, when very loud thumping noises from up above startled them both. It sounded like a heard of tap-dancing hippos.

"Mum!" Ron called down. "Fred and George bewitched my shoes—OW!" this was followed my some rather colorful language, and the twins howls of laughter.

Mrs. Weasley sighed; those two would be the death of her. "I'll be right there, Ron," she called. "Could you keep an eye on the gravy?" she added to Harry.

"Sure," he was busy trying not to snicker at poor Ron's expense.

Molly smile softly and briefly touched his messy black hair. "Thank you love," and then she was gone, sweeping up stairs, leaving Harry along in his amusement.

He finished the last of his tea, and he knew then exactly what this simple cup of tea made him feel: loved.

And that _was_, he thought, the very _best_ feeling in the world wide world.


	3. Fred Weasley by KaraLove From a Muggle

**From The Other Side**

**Character: Fred Weasley **

**By: Kara- **

**Love From a Muggle**

**Hufflepuff House**

"What's going on?" Harry said as his smile turned to a frown when he saw the look on each Weasley sitting before him. 'What's going on here? They don't look happy," he thought. He took off his jacket and hung up, and looked around. It was Hermione who answered him.

"Molly was cleaning when she came across a hidden board in the kitchen. How it's gone unnoticed after all these years, we don't know. Under the floor board she found a letter. The letter is from Fred," she stated.

"So why are we all called here?" he asked staring at the entire Weasley clan.

"Fred mentioned everyone in the letter. Molly asked us to come so we can read it. She's outside in the garden and told us to come out when we're done reading the letter." Hermione held up the letter as Harry sat down next to Ginny. The others sat down along with Harry.

"Who would like to read it? My throat is dry. I don't think I could make words out right," Hermione said as a single tear fell from her eye. Mr. Weasley stood up and accepted the letter Hermione handed out to him.

"I'll take over Hermione," he said. He stood in the center of the room. His hands were trembling as he held the old letter from Fred.

"To My Weasley family,

I have just one thing to say to you all on the eve of us leaving the Burrow. I have a feeling one of us will die, and for some reason I think it will be me. Don't even try to figure out how I know it, but I just do.

Ginny, Grow.

Grow into a wonderful woman much like our own mother. Be just as stubborn as she is, but be just as gentle as Mum is. But don't have a temper like Mum(no offense Mum) and take it easy with George. He will need you the most.

Bill, Teach.

Teach the next generation of Weasleys everything you know about life. Most importantly, teach them the wisdom you've learned over the years.

Charlie, Chase.

Chase your dreams. Chase dragons, and chase women. Chase until you've found what you're looking for in life.

Percy, Learn.

Learn to be wrong for once in an argument. It's okay to learn from others. You don't have to always be right.

Ron, Love.

Love like you've never loved before. We all know you'll end up with Hermione. You two were made for each other like parchment and quill. She will teach you how to love.

Dad, Laugh.

Learn to laugh again. Later in life you will have grandchildren and they will want to laugh with you. It's okay to laugh when you are sad.

Mum, Relax.

You worry too much about everyone and everything. There's some money set aside for you to get a house-elves, sorry Hermione, but it's about time Mum gets one, just ask George about it when he's ready to talk. Take a vacation with just you and dad. Go somewhere. The others will be fine. You need a break for you.

Harry, Freedom.

I know this isn't as instructive as everyone else, but because of you everyone has their freedom from what could have been. Thank you for fighting. It was a great honour fighting beside you for a greater cause. I knew you would win, I had a feeling you would make it. You have something to live for. Be good to Ginny when you two finally get back together. Just like Ron, we all know you will end up with her.

Hermione, Experience, Experience life as each day goes by and not by what a dusty old book tells you it is. Experience love, life, family and friendship, for yourself, because they are things you can't learn from a book.

George, Live.

I've saved you last brother. You need to learn to live again. We were always together, but now you need to live as your own person. You will forever have me in your memory. Most of all, learn to look in the mirror again. When you see my face staring back at you, live for the memories we made together.

From the other side,

Fred Weasley,"

Arthur finished the letter and looked up at the rest. There was not a dry eye in the room. Even Percy was crying. Harry stood up and spoke.

"I'm sure he meant for us to find this letter. How else would he have known Molly would find it one day while cleaning? We have to do as he says, as though it is a favor from him. Let's join Molly outside," Harry said taking Ginny's hand.

They all walked outside in silence as if they just came back from a funeral. Molly Weasley had surprised them with white lanterns. She gave every family member a white lantern. Without speaking, she held up her wand, and lit the lanterns. As they glowed in the evening sky, the Weasleys thought of Fred. It was Ginny who spoke first.

"I will Grow, Fred," she said sending her lantern into the sky.

"I will Teach, Fred," Bill said copying his sister.

"I will Chase, Fred," Charlie said sending his lantern into the sky to join the others.

"I will Learn, Fred," Percy said. He paused stared at his family and sent his into the sky.

"I will Love, Fred," Ron said, he glanced at Hermione as she leaned in to kiss him. Together, they sent Ron's lantern into the sky.

"I will Experience, Fred," Hermione whispered as she sent hers into the air.

"I will Laugh, Fred." Arthur smiled as he thought of his brave son. He chuckled, and sent his into the sky with a wave of his wand.

" I will Relax, Fred," Molly's soft spoken voice quivered as she spoke. Her son gone, but never forgotten. With that thought she shed some tears as she sent her lantern into the sky.

"They are free now, Fred," was all Harry said before he sent his into the sky. Others nodded with Harry's statement knowing how powerful it was.

They waited a moment as they watched all the lanterns meet the stars. When none shown, but the light coming from George, he softly spoke.

"I will learn to live. Because of you, I can live again," George said as a tear fell down his cheek. He sent his white lantern into the sky to join the others.

They stood in silence for a while staring at the sky.

"Who is ready for some tea?" Molly asked as the sky grew darker. Just like the lanterns, one by one they turned back to the Burrow. All except for Harry and George. George stood frozen on the spot facing the sky as Harry stood behind him. George spoke first breaking the silence.

"Because of you, he is free, Harry." George turned around and smiled.

"And because of him, you can live again."

"I don't know if I can though. He is everywhere I am," George said honestly.

"We can all get through this together," Harry said comforting George.

"I miss him," George replied. Harry nodded in agreement.

"We all do, but we all know we will see him on the other side," Harry replied.

Together they went towards the house. George went in first. As if he was told to wait outside, Harry turned around and stared into the sky. George's lantern was the only one left now.

"Be free Fred," Harry said quietly to himself as he turned back to walk into the house.


	4. Lily EvansJame Potter I by Alicia

**Title: Confessions**

**Pairing: Lily Evans & James Potter I**

**House: Slytherin**

**By Alicia**

**Disclaimer: The genius behind the settings and characters is JKR.**

Spots of black were dotting my vision. The world was spinning. The constricting feeling in my throat was growing each second. I was falling...falling...falling...

"Pretending to stick your fingers together to make a gun which you will eventually shove into your mouth so far inside that you will feel nauseated does not actually kill you, Lily," drawled Alice from where she sat on the edge of her bed.

My fingers retreated from my mouth as soon as they touched my tonsil, making me relive a nauseatic feeling. Coughing violently, I grabbed my chest and stood up from the dirty floor, crawling my way back to the comforts of my bed. My fingers clawed their way around the red bed sheet till they came contact with the headboard. Gripping it firmly, I pushed myself off my legs only to collapse on the fluffy pillows.

"Merlin, you're such a drama queen," snickered Roxanne as she entered the dorm, shutting the door firmly behind her and plopping down on the bed closest to her with a contented sigh. She pushed her ebony locks out of her eyes before turning to lie sideways, propping her head on one arm as she faced Alice and I. Alice sat up, grabbing a pillow form behind her and hugging it to her chest protectively as she grinned with interest.

"How'd the date go?" asked Alice. Today was a Hogsmeade weekend but Alice and I had stayed back at school. Me, because I needed to catch up on my studies after excessive partying and Alice because after her recent fight with Frank, she had no one to go with. Marlene and Dorcas had already left each with dates, so she had no other option than to enjoy her day inside the unusually silent school.

"He asked me to come visit his family during winter break," grinned Roxanne, but I could feel her holding something back.

"That's wonderful," said Alice with an encouraging yet slightly bitter smile. No doubt, she was missing Frank.

There was a slight pause before Roxanne finally felt the need to blurt out, "He told me he loved me!"

Grinning like a madwoman, I squealed with Alice and jumped off my bed to go and hug Roxanne. She had been dating Caradoc Dearborn for a year; Caradoc was a tall athletic-looking guy with silky blonde hair, friendly green eyes, and an innocent face. He was very cute in a boyish, easy way, but what really struck me about him was his kindness. It was rare these days to find a guy who wasn't all into _pleasure_. He was a Hufflepuff and one of the best keepers in the school. Roxanne couldn't have scored a better guy who deserved her more.

"Tell us _everything_!" demanded Alice excitedly.

"Well, the date went really well. He took me to the Three Broomsticks for butter beer and then we sort of went hitchhiking away from Hogsmeade, but we didn't go far. He took me to this place behind a hill and it was _magical_. It was like we had apparated out of Britain and went to Jamaica or something - I don't know, there was this huge meadow with all kinds of flowers and birds and it was just so romantic!" said Roxanne as she paused to catch breath, "We had a picnic there and just lay on the grass for some hours talking about random stuff when out of no where he kissed me and then told me he loved me. After that, he invited me to meet his family and that was that"

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I told him I loved him back of course," she giggled girlishly and let a smile settle on her lips. We stayed silent for a few minutes, not feeling a need to fill in the silence.

"But how do you know you love him?" I inquired, turning to face her once again and she stared at me with a bemused expression before opening her mouth to speak.

"I - I don't know. That's just love, I guess. You know you love him when the time is right"

"But what if it's just a silly infatuation-"

"It isn't," stated Roxanne with so much confidence that I believed her, "A silly infatuation wouldn't make me feel like I could trust him with my life completely. A silly infatuation wouldn't make me want to walk to the ends of the earth just to see him all over again. It's love, Lily. I'm sure"

And so I spent the next few hours crawling the corridors, attacking anyone who passed by me with questions of love.

"Love?" asked a timid second year, "I suppose it's when you protect something that's close to you, isn't it?"

"It's about trust" a sixth year Ravenclaw said seriously, "Trusting someone not to hurt you. Trusting them to see past the imperfections. Trusting them to never leave your side" he shot a glance towards a girl barely younger than him clad in her school robes walking past us.

"It's about feeling alive," smiled a fifth year that emerged from the library with a wistful smile on her face, "It's when your senses get sharper, everything becomes clearer, you see the world in a whole new light, a world where nothing can go wrong..."

"It's nothing but an illusion," frowned a bulky Slytherin, "You're born alone and you die alone. Besides, a filthy mudblood like you couldn't get even a sewage rat to like you let alone love you"

I paid him no heed and turned to question a spunky Ravenclaw emerging from the broom closet, "Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to walk by you again?" he smirked.

"How about you walk away again?" I scowled.

"Well, Miss Evans, I suppose love is as a wise muggle Frost puts it, an irresistible desire to be desired with a hint of something else I find most of my students these days indulging in" said Dumbledore. I nodded and walked away quickly, trying to muffle my laughter. Who would have thought of Dumbledore saying something remotely related to sex?

"It's when you get to know the guy first, Lily. Now, it doesn't have to be love at first sight," said Hestia who was a friend from Hufflepuff with a steady Gryffindor boyfriend. "It can also be those love-hate relationships. Anyways, it should be without pressure. Nobody should force you into flirting with him or something but it should come from the heart. You know, then you get to know him better. Become his best friend of sorts - predict his ways, anticipate his actions, keep in synchronization... and then its not long before you start feeling that thing in your stomach that makes it go all squiggly and squishy from inside. Sooner or later you're melting at his touch, and you just can't think of anyone else. He's on your mind day and night. You have your occasional fights and witty banters and neither of you seem to think the either as perfect because that's just who you are. And in the end you end up in a steamy room having constant sex, moaning and-"

I laughed, interrupting her little speech, "I get it"

"So, why'd you ask anyways?" asked Hestia curiously.

"Just felt like taking the general opinion," I smiled cheekily and strode off to another direction, encountering a group of four familiar boys before I blurted out the same question I had been asking everyone else.

It was Remus who replied first with a mischievous smirk playing around his lips, "Oh you know, its when you have a woman in a hand's reach, and you can't be bothered to restrain your actions. Just thinking about it makes even _me_ a little light-headed" he gave a low husky chuckle, "when you sit all alone in a cold dark place" he sighed slowly "your imagination just running wild of its own account, lusty kisses all over your skin-"

"I think I get it," I stepped back cautiously; this was _so_ not the Remus I knew.

Sirius clamped a hand around his shoulder and turned to me with an apologetic smile, "He gets horny when he's drunk - talks nonsense. I should probably take him back to the dorms, c'mon Wormtail."

"Yeah you do that" I chuckled nervously before edging round the corner. I jumped, startled when I heard a voice from behind me, I had forgotten the presence of the last Marauder.

"What, aren't you going to ask my opinion?" asked James mischievously. I opened my mouth to reply but he beat me to it, losing his mischievous expression and replacing it with a serious one,"Its when you can't stay mad at someone for any long period of time. Either you forgive or you forget. Its when you can recall any form of communication between the two of you, whether it be notes or letters," started James as he crossed his arms and leant against the stone wall. I copied his actions and nodded my head to show I was listening.

"Its when you take as much time as you can to spend each and every minute with that person, to drag your feet slowly across the floor so you have an excuse for staying with him for so long. Its when you feel nervous, maybe even shy when you're around him though you show it in weird ways. Love is when-"

He broke off to come stand beside me, excruciatingly close for my liking. I could have sworn the tone of his voice dropped when he next spoke, "Love is when your heart beats faster when you're with that person and just the sound of their voice makes you smile"

I think I was having a heart attack. My heart was beating really fast, like a thousand miles per minute. Oh sweet Merlin, I was dying! I couldn't even pay attention to what he was saying - my mind was too jumbled. What if I die any moment? What if my corpse is seen next to Ja-Potter and he gets expelled for wrongly murdering me? What if I never get to tell my parents I love them - tell Petunia that its alright if she hates me, I knew she was jealous anyways. What will happen to my incomplete will? I haven't even decided what to legally pass on to Alice yet - Oh, Bugger. I never mentioned Alice could have that parrot green dress of mines she liked in my will. What if I-

"You can't see anyone else when you're around him. You feel alone as if you two are the only people left in the world," he had moved away from be now but was still standing close. His mouth was dangerously close to my hair as he continued to speak in hushed tones. Why was this corridor so deserted?

"Love is when you've memorized his scent and can spot him a mile away, its when you know you're always smiling to yourself when you think of him, when you'd do anything for him, when-"

I turned around to face him, breathing erratically. He stood there, leaning over, taking in every inch of my face as I did his. Our eyes locked for a second and I noticed a hue of gold in her hazel eyes before the glanced at my lips then stared back unreadable into my eyes again.

"When all this time you were thinking of only one person." he breathed.

We stayed like that for a moment. Neither of us moved nor talk, because if we did then terrible things would happen. The moment was to precious to lose.

"You" he muttered before moving his face closer to mine - his lips a fraction of an inch away from mine. I grew impatient, was he going to kiss me or not?

Wait. Did I even want to kiss him? The guy who chased after me since fifth year, the guy who bullied everyone constantly-

_But he doesn't bully anymore, he's become responsible-_

But he's a selfish toad-

_Who's been helping tutor first years in Transfiguration-_

He's a cocky, arrogant brat-

_Who hasn't flaunted once since term started-_

He's-

_Imperfect._

But-

_You love him for it._

_"_I-I like you" was all I muttered before I reached up and smacked my lips against his.

But I lied. My feelings for him were even stronger than like – I suspected that I loved him. And it turns out I did. It wasn't just a silly infatuation, I soon found out. It was exactly how Roxanne had described it to be – that annoying tugging sensation in your gut that would only appear when he was in sight.

Curse her.


	5. Harry PotterGinny Weasley by Martine

**Title: Harry Potter and the Ring of Power - Chapter 2**

**Character: Harry/Ginny**

**House: Ravenclaw**

**Name: Martine Lewis... But you can call me Martine.**

**A/N - This is the second chapter to "**** Harry Potter and the Ring of Power". If you wish to read the first chapter please visit my profile.**

Harry had been on forced holidays for only two weeks when he came back home to find Hermione and Ron waiting in his dining room.

It was late, very late. Harry had spent most of the day riding the Underground. It helped him keep his mind off things. And he had a lot of things on his mind, things he needed to sort out. The Underground closing at night was the only reason he came home at all.

Hermione looked at him, caught between being worried and angry. To make matters worse, Harry's appearance had deteriorated over the last couple of weeks. He was not sleeping well, if at all, and did not have appetite for anything.

"Where have you been?" Hermione finally exploded. "You don't write! You don't visit! And when I went to your office this morning, they told me you were taking time off and they didn't know when you would be back! What has got into you, not giving us news like this? And Ron says he hasn't heard from you in three weeks!"

Hermione looked away, visibility distressed, while Harry stared at her speechless.

"Now, we have tickets for the Chudley Cannons Quidditch game on Saturday and you_ are_ going to come!" she added, turning back to Harry and pointing her finger at him.

Harry remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, Ron! Talk some sense into him!" she said and stormed out of the dining room.

Both Ron and Harry watched her leave.

"Mate, I told her a bloke needs his space, you know… but it didn't work," said Ron, looking at Harry. "She's worried sick about you, you know. I think you better come on Saturday."

Harry gazed at his shoes, not sure if he wanted to go but at the same time, feeling a little guilty that his two best friends were worried about him.

"You'll come, right?" insisted Ron gently

"Yeah," finally answered Harry, glancing at him.

"Good," said Ron, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll see you this Saturday around lunch time, at my house, okay? We'll eat before heading out... And by the way, you should eat something; you look dreadful."

hphphphp

Harry Apparated into Ron and Hermione's back garden, hidden from Muggles' eyes by a high Blackthorn hedge. He had been here once before, when he had completed his training session at the end of April. Ron had proudly told him that Hermione, who had done most of the decorating during the Christmas holiday, would be moving in with him at the end of her school year.

Harry looked at his friends' house with an urge to turn around and go home, but he didn't want to face Hermione's wrath again, nor his guilt at worrying her. With a sigh, he walked to the back door and knocked.

"Oh! Hi, Harry!" said Ron, opening the door and letting Harry in the kitchen.

"Ron, is that Harry?" called Hermione from another room towards the front of the house.

"Yeah, it's him."

Walking into the kitchen, Hermione pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"Lunch is on the table," she said, taking his arm and guiding him towards the dining room.

They sat and began to eat a light lunch of sandwiches and salad.

"So, Harry, what have you been up to lately?" asked Hermione before the silence became uncomfortable.

"Oh! Riding the Tube," answered Harry lightly, as if it was perfectly normal for somebody to ride the Underground all day.

"Riding the Tube?" asked Ron, staring at him. "Mate, don't you have anything more interesting to do?"

"No, not really, not since I was forced to take a holiday," answered Harry shortly.

"What? What happened?" asked Hermione concerned.

Harry explained how Amycus Carrow had escaped him again, finding, in the retelling, a glimpse of the old camaraderie they used to have when they were at Hogwarts. He found himself missing his years there, when things had been so much simpler, when they had been so innocent, even with the shadow of Voldemort looming over their heads.

"What about you, Hermione?" asked Harry. "You came back from school last Tuesday, didn't you? How many NEWTs? And what about your magical creatures' rights campaign?"

"Actually, I've got outstanding in all my NEWTs, and I've got a job offer with the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures - I'm currently researching the existing laws and regulations on non-human creatures for Minister Shacklebolt. I think that the house-elves and other non-humans' contribution to the war has not gone unnoticed. The Minister has asked me to find all the regulations that are to the disadvantages of non-humans, and to determine how they could be eliminated or modified to improve their conditions."

"Sounds like SPEW all over again," said Harry with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Yeah," answered Hermione with a sincere smile. "However, now I think I can really make a difference."

"What about you?" asked Harry, glancing at Ron.

"The shops are doing great," he answered.

Ron had gone to work with George at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes straight after the war. After the death of his brother, George had seriously thought about abandoning the shop which had closed its Diagon Alley premises during the war when the twins had gone into hiding. However, Ron had convinced George to give it another try. "I'll do it with you," he had said. "And if in a year you want to walk away, I won't stop you." Half-heartedly, George had given in.

Within months, the shop had become an even bigger success than before the war. People who had been constantly in fear during the conflict were now ready to laugh and have fun. Before December had come around, George and Ron had opened a second shop in Hogsmeade, in the old Zonko's location.

"We're branching out some more, now," continued Ron. "You remember the shield hats? We're trying to work some of that magic into other common objects, such as rings and bracelets. You should come by the shop sometime, and see for yourself, you know," invited Ron.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

An hour later, the three of them left for the Chudley Cannons' Quidditch pitch. Ron's favourite team was playing the Holyhead Harpies. To Harry's surprise, Ginny's name was announced on a banner as the newest Chaser for the all women's team.

"Ron, is that – is that Ginny?" he asked, pointing at the banner.

"Yeah," answered Ron dismissively. "One of their Chasers got pregnant and left the team. At the same time, their reserve got an offer from the Caerphilly Catapults. They were pretty desperate for a new Chaser, you know, so they turned to Ginny.

"You should have seen Mum! She went mental! Ginny hadn't even finished school when she was offered the place. Mum threw a fit and insisted Ginny finished school first. To get her off her back, Ginny promised Mum she would. She had to juggle Quidditch practices at school with the Harpies' practices _and_ studying for her NEWTs. It's a wonder she did it all! And on top of it all, Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup and she passed all her NEWTs. Very impressive, don't you think?"

"Ron, you underestimate your sister," said Hermione with a smile.

"Well, on that one, I probably did," said Ron, not willing to admit it may have been the case on more than just this occasion.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but Harry was no longer paying attention as he was becoming increasingly nervous about the continuous stares and whispers from the crowd of people surrounding them. Not only was he a very well known figure, he was now the prime target for most Death Eaters and dark wizards, and a crowd of hundreds of unknown wizards made him ten times more nervous and jumpy than a ride in the Tube with tens of thousands Muggle strangers.

"Let's find our seats," he suggested, glancing around again.

The game lasted just over two hours and, as usual, the Cannons were horribly defeated by the Harpies by 480 points. Harry had enjoyed looking at Ginny fly and score in her brand new dark green uniform, but he doubted this game was a real display of the extent of her skills, so bad were the Cannons.

"Come, Harry! Ginny will never forgive us if we leave without seeing her," said Hermione after the game.

Grabbing his hand, Hermione guided him off the stands and walked towards the Holyhead Harpies' tent. Harry, still wary of the crowd, looked around at all the people who were now overtly pointing and staring at them.

"Don't mind them, mate," said Ron as if he could read Harry's discomfort. "They're just curious, that's all. It's not every day you see 'legends' walking right past you, you know. They're not dangerous."

"It's not _them_ I'm worried about," said Harry, thinking about how easy it would be for a dark wizard to hide in this crowd.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Hermione when she noticed Harry was still nervous. "You look like you've never been stared at before. After all this time, you should be used to it," she added, misunderstanding his discomfort.

"Doesn't mean I like it!" answered Harry shortly.

However, the crowd was no longer the only thing Harry dreaded. He was worried about Ginny's reaction. He hadn't heard from her, nor had he given her any news in well over two months. He didn't know what to expect. In fact, he was so nervous that his heart was beating faster than it should have, had he only been worried about the crowd, and he felt his legs could barely support him.

"Come on!" said Hermione, pulling on his hand again to make him walk faster.

Ron led the way to the tent set up for the players, oblivious of Harry's growing discomfort. He lifted up the flap, and followed Hermione and Harry inside. Ginny was there, sitting at a table surrounded by fans eager to get her to autograph their Holyhead Harpies' gear.

"How is it up there, Ginny, when you're about to score?" asked a young girl of about seven.

"Fast," answered Ginny, signing the girl's hat. "And sometimes scary when it's raining," she added, looking up at the girl with a smile.

Harry thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life.

"But you're not afraid of anything!" exclaimed an older girl down the row.

Ginny laughed happily.

"Harry Potter! That's Harry Potter!" the crowd began to whisper.

All of a sudden, the conversations stopped and everybody turned towards Harry. Ginny looked up and her brown eyes met his. She became visibly paler, and he wondered if it was in anger, but somehow his fuzzy mind seemed to remember the Weasleys tended to turn red when angry. The next thing he knew, Ginny was running across the tent and throwing herself in his arms.

"Ginny!" said Harry, hugging her, happily surprised by her reaction.

"So, tell me, have you forgotten what quills, parchment, and owls are?" she asked after a few seconds in his arms, visibly divided between being completely angry and overwhelmingly happy to see him.

As he stared at her, Harry had the impression everybody had gone and he wished only one thing: that he would dare kiss her. However, they stood there, staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity, neither of them daring to make the first move and initiate the kiss. Somehow, it seemed to Harry that it hadn't been so complicated in the Gryffindor common room a few years ago when they had won the Quidditch Cup.

"Well, are you going kiss her, mate?" asked a young man from the crowd, intruding on their universe.

Amount the laughter from the crowd, Harry smiled at Ginny, who, also laughing, put her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you, Harry Potter," she whispered against his neck.

"I missed you, Ginny Weasley," he whispered back against her hair.

And he knew at that moment how much he had really missed her.

"But we will have another war on our hands if you don't go back to your fans," he added, chuckling.

"Will you stay?" she asked, pulling away to look at him again.

"He'll be at dinner tonight," answered Ron.

"Eh!" said Harry surprised by the sudden invitation. "Yeah, right!" he added with a smile at Ginny.

Ginny returned his smile and left, walking back towards her table and her line of fans.

"Wow, mate! She did say she missed you but I never thought she missed you _that_ much," said Ron puzzled by his sister's reaction. "And good thing we were there too, with about a few hundred fans or so... Otherwise, who knows what would have happened?"

"Boys!" said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

hphphphphp

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting in the living room when Ginny arrived for dinner. She had showered and Harry could smell her flowery shampoo, a smell he remembered liking for as long as he had known her. Ginny sat on the sofa next to him, taking the only seat left available in the small living room.

"Well, I'm going to get dinner ready now that we're all here," said Hermione, standing up with a smile and walking towards the kitchen.

Ron was entertaining Harry and Ginny with his latest adventure in the Muggle world when Hermione called from the kitchen, "Ron! Need your help right about now!"

"Excuse me," said Ron, standing up and leaving for the kitchen.

Harry and Ginny sat there quietly, not daring to look at one another.

"Seeing anyone?" they both asked at the same time, turning towards one another.

"No," answered Harry, glancing at his hands, chuckling. "You?"

"No," she answered, her face turning slightly pink.

"So, what have you been doing since the last time I heard from you?" asked Harry, finally looking at her.

It wasn't really the question he wanted to ask her. What he really wanted to know was how come she was still single. But he suspected it wasn't the right kind of thing to say.

"Well," answered Ginny. "I finished school…"

She began to tell him how she had been recruited by the Holyhead Harpies, and the few teams she had played since then, but Harry was not listening. He was mesmerized by her voice and her smell, and all he could think about were her lips and how much he wanted to taste them. She was still talking about her last Quidditch trip when he leaned forward and kissed her.

He felt like time had stopped. There was only him and Ginny, and he could have kissed her all day long. He felt so exhilarated that he wondered, for a moment, if Ron or Hermione had slipped _Felix Felicis_ in his drink while at the game.

"Dinner's ready!" called Hermione from the dining room after what seemed but a moment to Harry.

With a sigh, Harry pulled away from Ginny, and gazed at her.

"You have lipstick on your cheek," she said, chuckling, removing it with her fingers.

Once she was done, they stood up. He looked at her for a few seconds, took her hand in his, and gave her a light kiss on her knuckles before leading her to the dining room.


	6. Harry PotterDraco Malfoy by Jin

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER! PLEASE DON'T SUE!**

**Harry's P.O.V.**

**Title: Sitters, Dolls, and Potions**

**Character Pairing: Harry P. and Draco M.**

**House: Slytherin**

**Name: Duchess .Minna a.k.a Raijin or simply Jin**

"Are you sure this is the right address?" I heard myself croak.

A strange lump had formed in my throat as I stared out the car window, through the heavy rain. The huge house at the end of the road was run-down, with black windows that looked like empty holes and weird towers that made a jagged line across the dark sky. The front porch sagged and the shrubs and trees inside the black wrought-iron fence were badly overgrown.

"This is it, Thirteen Hollow Drive." My dad said cheerfully.

"Thirteen? That was the address of the haunted house in that scary movie I saw on TV last night!" I swallowed hard.

"There you go again, Harry. Letting that overly active imagination of yours run wild. I'm sure the Malfoy's will turn out to be very nice—and that babysitting their little boy would be a breeze." He dad said confidently.

Just then, a loud crash of thunder cut through the night. A few seconds later, a flash of lightning lit up the sky. I had to admit that my dad was right about that overly active imagination of mine. Still, the idea of accepting a job babysitting at a house I'd never been to, for a family I'd never met, in a town almost five miles from where I lived, was sounding worse and worse.

It had started innocently enough. Seventh grade had barely gotten rolling and I was already finding myself short of pocket money. Babysitting seemed like the obvious answer, though not many guys go for it.

"_So what if I'd never done it before? Why worry about the fact that I'd never felt very uncomfortable around little kids?" _I asked myself.

I had checked the "Help Wanted" ads in the local newspaper, made a few calls, and within half an hour, had lined up a babysitting job for the following Friday night.

"Better hurry. It's almost eight. You don't want to be late." His dad said.

"I'll call you if there's any problem." I said as he climbed out of the car, holding a big black umbrella over my head.

"What kind of problem could there be? Dad called as he drove away.

He was right, I told myself as I pushed open the metal gate. The hinges were so rusted they made s screeching sound. Babysitting an adorable little boy who'd probably spend the entire evening playing with his action figures or watching a movie... what could be easier?

Just then, there was another loud crack of thunder. A bold of lightning hit a tree twenty feet ahead. I let out a yell as a large branch crashed down, falling across the path. My heart was pounding like a jackhammer. Looking back, I watched the rear lights of my dad's car disappear. Then, having no other choice, I walked on.

The wooden planks of the porch creaked, making noises like screams. I paused before reaching for the big brass knocker, my hearts pounding wildly. Finally, I knocked three times, listening to the sound echo through the house.

I half-expected last night's monster to answer. Instead, a pleasant looking woman opened the door. She didn't look that different from my own mother.

"Hello, you must be the new sitter." She greeted me, smiling.

"That's me. I'm Harry Potter." I said.

"Come in, Harry. It's not every day we have male sitters. They are so rare. And, you're right on time. Mr. Malfoy and I are just about ready to leave."

My eyes darted around anxiously as I walked into the house. The giant living room was filled with big, heavy furniture that looked very old-fashioned. Portraits of people with unsmiling faces were hung on the walls. Frankly, I found the Malfoy's taste in decorating kind of dreary.

But I was much more interested in Draco. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding a stuffed animal. He was very adorable, with blond hair and the biggest, greyest eyes I'd ever seen.

"Hi, you must be Draco. I'm Harry." I said, trying to sound friendly.

"Hi Harry, you're nice. I like you."

That struck me as an odd thing to say. Still, I was glad that—for starters at least—we were getting along.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing to his stuffed animal.

"Dragon."

"Can I see him?"

He hesitated, then held out the fluffy brown dog. He was covered with black spots.

"Hi Dragon! Wow, you're cute. You look a lot like the puppy my next-door neighbours got this past summer. Too bad, he ran away after a couple of weeks. They never found him." I said.

Mrs. Malfoy turned to her son.

"Now remember Draco, you must have all your toys and stuffed animals put away by the time we come home. I don't want to find that you've left a mess behind for me to clean up. Understand?"

The little boy looked up at his mother, his big grey eyes wide, "I understand, Mother."

"Help yourself to anything you find in the kitchen." Mrs. Malfoy told me as she put her coat on.

"Draco, maybe you'd like to make Harry you special snack." Mr. Malfoy said as he came down the stairs.

"Oh yes!" he cried, his face lightning up.

"What else would you like to do tonight, Draco?" I asked.

It didn't take long for him to answer.

"I want to do role playing games."

Playing games, making snacks in the kitchen... everything told me the evening would proceed smoothly. Why, then, I wondered, was I still feeling so edgy? Overly-active imagination again?

I watched as Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy kiss their son good-bye and then disappear out the front door.

I heard the porch creak.

Draco and I were alone.

"Well Draco, it looks like it's just you and me." I said.

Wearing a very serious expression, he nodded.

"What would you like to do first? We can play any game you choose. As far as I'm concerned, from here on in, I'm all yours," I told him.

Just then, another loud clap of thunder sounded. It was so close the entire house shook. I jumped about two feet into the air as lightning flashed outside the windows.

That was when the lights went out.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of." I told Draco.

I was trying my best to sound calm. The last thing I wanted was for him to know how petrified I was.

There I was in that big creepy house, with no one around... and no lights.

Still, I was in charge. Getting both of us through the rest of the evening was up to me.

"I'm not afraid." I heard Draco say through the pitch blackness.

"Good. Maybe we just blew a fuse. I guess I'd better go down into the basement and check."

I bit my lip. The last place I felt like going was the basement. But if I didn't there was no chance of getting the electricity back on. And the prospect of a long night of darkness was unbearable.

"Is there a flashlight around here?" I asked him.

"In the kitchen. Come with me, Harry. I'll show you.

All of a sudden, I felt his little hand in mine. At least _one_ of us is being brave about this, I thought. I followed Draco without any idea of where were going. We walked through a few rooms. Then we stopped and I heard him open a drawer.

This time, the thing I felt in my hand was hard, plastic, and round. Eagerly, I switched on the flashlight.

"That's better" I said cheerfully.

Then I jumped, letting out a loud cry. Huge, weird shapes had leaped up onto the walls.

"_They're only shadows,_" I told myself firmly.

"The stairs to the basement are over there." Draco said, pointing towards the dining room.

I nodded. "Great. You wait here and I'll see if I can find out what's going on."

Opening the basement door, I peered into the wooden staircase. It seemed to lead down to a pit.

The Malfoy's' basement was unfinished, with gray concrete-block walls and a hard concrete floor. In the corner, I found the metal box I was looking for. I was hardly an expert in the field of electricity but my parents had shown me the fuse box in our house the last time our lights went out. I knew that all the switches were supposed to be pushed to the same side. I also knew it was important to check the main switch.

Shining the flashlight of the fuse box, I saw that everything looked just fine. I was about to dash back up to tell Draco that the power lines must have gone down because of the storm when something strange caught my eye. It was a doorway, back behind the washing machine.

By this point, my heart was thumping so hard it was more like flutter than a beat. I was a bit scared and I was near panting. But something about that doorway bothered me. I had to know where it led. Even more important, I had to assure myself that no one—no _thing_—was lurking on the other side of it.

"Everything ok down there?" Draco called.

"Everything's fine, I'll be right up." I called back.

I paused. It would have been so easy to head right back up those stairs. Still, I had to know. Walking so slowly, I could have been moving in slow motion, I made my way across the hard basement floor. I could feel the blood throbbing at my temples. There's probably nothing back there, a small voice inside my head insisted. Just a dusty old storage area, a bunch of old junk...

Finally, I reached the doorway. Holding my breath, I held out the flashlight, shining it on whatever was inside. I let out a gasp. I'd stumbled upon a small room. It was for storage, but not the kind I'd expect. Lined up on a wooden shelf were twenty or thirty bottles of what looked like chemicals. Focusing the light on the labels, I saw that some of there were acids. Most had names I'd never heard of at all.

There was more. Stashed in one corner was a huge cardboard box, piled high with strange assortment of things. I was afraid to stick my hand in. Instead, I simply looked at what was on top. I saw at least six bag packs, a little smaller than most grown-ups use. Probably for teenagers, I figured. There were other things that looked like they belonged to teenaged boys and girls too. A geometry textbook and a few spiral notebooks, covered with doodles. Some paperback books. Two pairs of eyeglasses.

Mixed in were a bunch of dog collars too.

"_What a weird combination of things. I wonder why somebody would store them all together like this?" _I thought to myself.

The storage room was giving me the creeps. In fact, all of a sudden I couldn't wait to get out of there. I turned around; ready to leave, and then I saw the cage.

At least, it looked like a cage. It was a box made out of metal that was twisted into a crisscross pattern. It had what looked like a door too, although one of the hinges was broken. What was _really_ strange though, was the size. The cage was as tall as I was. And I noticed one more thing. It was dented on one side, as if whatever had been trapped inside had been trying to get out.

Chills ran down my spine. Holding the flashlight as tight as I could, I dashed towards the stairs as fast as I could. My heart pounding harder than ever, I took the steps two at a time. When I got back up stairs, Draco was standing by the door. My knees gave way. I sank onto the floor.

"Draco, are there any candles around?"

"Sure! Matches too. But I'm not allowed to touch then. They're too dangerous." He told me.

"In that case, would you please lead me to wherever you parents keep them?" I said tiredly.

Draco led me to a kitchen drawer. Sure enough, inside I found three stubby candles and a book of matched. Carefully I lit the candles, searching the kitchen cabinets until I found saucers to put them on.

Draco seemed excited when I sat down next to him by the kitchen counter.

"I know what we can do now! Let's have s snack!" he said happily.

That sounded safe enough.

"All right then. What would you like?" I asked him.

"Cookies! And I'll make you a glass of my special juice. It's called Hokey-Pokey Juice." He cried with excitement.

Special Juice? With a name Hokey-Pokey Juice? That didn't sound too appetizing. But I was thirsty. Poking around in the basement, finding all that creepy stuff stashed down there, face to face with Dracula... it had already been a long night.

"Sounds terrific." I told him.

I snuck a peek at my watch. It was hard to believe that it was only thirty minutes after eight. We were right outside the kitchen by then. I was busy telling myself that the worst was over and the rest of the evening was bound to be clear sailing. That was when I suddenly heard a loud crash from inside the kitchen.

I let out a terrified gasp, meanwhile holding on to Draco.

"What was that?" I whispered.

My mind was whirling with a hundred different ideas. A prowler? A burglar? Or maybe something even worse...? in this house, nothing would have surprised me.

"I don't know what that was. But it seemed like it came from the kitchen." Draco said in a small voice.

"I'm going inside to check, you stay here." I told him.

Holding the candle in my trembling hand, I stepped forward towards the kitchen door. I felt so terrified I was nearly dizzy. Swallowing hard, I pushed the door open as hard as I could. I blinked a few times, peering into the darkness on the other side. Two glowing red eyes were staring at straight at me.

My first instinct was to turn and run. But I knew I couldn't I had Draco to protect—not to mention myself.

"W-who are you?" I demanded in a shaky voice.

And then, as if in response to my question, I heard, "Mee-ow!"

"A cat!" Draco cried, bounding forward.

He pushed past me, nearly knocking over the candle I held. I let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Here, kitty, kitty." Draco dropped onto the floor and was crawling toward the glowing red eyes on his hand and knees.

I followed close behind, holding the candle down low. Sure enough, huddled in the corner of the kitchen, between the refrigerator and what looked like a back door, was the kitten. It was so tiny, I felt silly for having been so scared. The kitten was so small, in fact, that Draco scoped her up in on hand as if she were a toy.

"Isn't she cute? Have you ever seen such a pretty little kitty ever?" he cried, burying his face in her soft neck.

This cat is definitely my favourite cat in the entire universe, I felt like telling him. Because thirty seconds ago, I'd thought he was a killer-alien-monster-being from another dimension.

"Look how unusual he is!" Draco held the kitten out for me to see. Still clutching my trusty candle, I looked at him more closely.

Draco was right; she was unusual. Her fur was mostly black, but there were three white spots on his back. In front, right under her chin, was a patch of white.

"You're right, I've never seen a cat who looked quite like him." I said.

"He's all wet, poor little thing!" Draco suddenly exclaimed.

"He must have snuck inside to get out of the storm. I guess he got in through here." I said as I glanced passed the shadowy kitchen and through the open back door.

Draco covered the kitten with a towel and gently rubbed her all over. She tried to squirm away, but she was no match for Draco. He held on tightly.

"There you go, kitty." He cooed.

Draco and the kitten looked so cute, cuddled up together on the kitchen floor.

"Now you have a real home, kitty."

"Draco, this kitten might already have a home. She might belong to somebody else."

"NO! This is _my_ kitten! He's _mine_! And no one's going to take him away from me!"

The anger in Draco's voice made me jump.

"I only meant that—"

"In fact, I'm going to name her right now. I know, I'll call you Patches." His grey eyes were focused on the kitten.

I wasn't about to argue.

"Great name. Couldn't have come up with anything better myself." I said.

"Now that Patches' had something to drink, it's your turn." Draco said, his cheerful self once again.

"That's right. Your special juice."

He leaped up and dashed to the cabinet, taking down a glass. Then he started poking around the shelves, pulling down all kinds of ingredients.

"Uh, exactly what's _in_ this special juice of yours?" I asked nervously.

"It's a secret." Draco replied, not even bothering to look at me.

How bad could it be? I began to wonder. Figuring that part of being a babysitter was being a good sport. Taking a few sips of some weird juice to make a little boy happy... all in a day's work.

I noticed that Patches had curled up with the towel. She looked as if she were getting ready to go to sleep. Even I had to admit that, all in all, this was a pretty homey scene.

"Here you go." Draco suddenly announced.

He was wearing a big, satisfied smile as he handed me a tall glass. It was filled to the top with a thick, cloudy liquid that was an odd greenish-silver colour.

"Drake, are you sure this is—"

"This is my special juice, Drink it!" he said impatiently.

I gulped. "Where's yours?"

"I'm not thirsty. Come on, Harry. Please try it. It's delicious. And I made it specially for you." He said in a much sweeter voice.

The way I looked at it, I didn't have much of a choice. Slowly I brought the glass up to my lips. I took a tiny sip."

"How is it?" he asked eagerly.

"Actually, it's better than I expected."

That much was true. Draco's special juice didn't taste nearly as awful as it looked. If anything, it was too sweet. There must have been a ton of sugar in that glass. Underneath the sweetness, I thought I tasted something else—something unlike anything else I'd ever tasted before. But I tried to ignore it as I took another sip.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." I told him.

His face lit up. "See? I told you it was good."

I took one more sip. "What do you call this again?"

"Hocus-Pocus Juice."

"Wait a minute. I thought you said before you called it Hokey-Pokey Juice. Hocus-Pocus is what magicians always say when they're about to—"

I never got to finish my sentence. Just then, for no reason I could see, Patches suddenly leaped into my lap. Her tiny body hit the side of the glass. The force wasn't enough to knock it out of my hand, but it was enough to spill some of the juice. All over my T-shirt, in fact.

"Oh no! Don't spill any!" Draco cried.

"It's no big deal. Just a little accident. I'm sure it'll wash right out—"

"But you have to drink it _all_!" Draco insisted.

"Don't worry, I'll drink the rest. I only spilled a little"

After washing the stain away, I sat back and took another sip of the juice.

"I know what we can do now! How would you like to see my playroom?" Draco said brightly.

I breathed a sigh of relief. A playroom. What could be more harmless than that? I pictured a big, airy room, its walls painted with balloons and circus animals and the windows covered with ruffled curtains. In it, I imagined, were all kinds of wonderful toys. And while Draco played, I could sit back and relax.

"Sounds great, let's go." I told him sincerely.

When we got to the second floor, I found myself in a long hallway that stretched out in both directions. There were lots of doors leading off it. Probably bedrooms, I thought.

"Which room is your playroom?" I asked cheerfully.

"Oh, we're not there _yet_." He replied.

I followed in silence, along a creaking wooden floor, as he led to a second staircase. This one was much narrower. It was made of wood. There was a banister, but it was nothing more than a thin railing that didn't do very much to make me feel safe.

Okay, so he's playroom's on the third floor, I thought. I guess if a family's going to live in a house as big as this one, they might as well take advantage of all the space.

"Are we almost there?" I asked, looking around for that cheerful playroom I'd pictured in my mind.

"Almost" he answered.

I followed him as he reached the end of the hall. I was about to point out that there was no place left to go when he opened the very last door. Much to my surprise, there was _another_ staircase on the other side.

"Where are we going?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Up the attic."

I swallowed hard, not an easy task, given how dry my mouth was. Attics can be lovely places, I told myself, trying to talk my pounding heart into calming down. A little carpeting, a few coats of paint...

"This is it, my playroom." Draco said proudly.

My heart was gripped with something very close to terror. The attic—Draco's playroom—was big, all right. It was also dark, covered in eerie shadows. Huge cobwebs hung down from the ceiling. The floor creaked so badly I was afraid the uneven planks of wood wouldn't hold me up.

Thunder crashed all around us. And then, through the one small, grimy window I noticed at the far of the attic, lighting flashed. My heart stopped. In that instant, I got a good look at Draco's playroom. I saw long tables, covered with test tubes and odd-looking machinery I saw shelves like the one I'd seen in the basement, covered with dusty old jars of chemicals.

I even saw one of the huge cages, like the kind I'd seen in that creepy storage room... the kind Draco said she used to keep his pets in. Draco's playroom didn't look like any playroom I'd ever seen. In fact, it looked more like a scientist's lab, the kind where, in the movies, all kinds of evil things happen.

I tried to sound as if playrooms that looked like sets from Frankenstein movies were something I came across every day.

"Very nice." I told him, sounding almost as if I meant it.

"And it's mine, all mine. I can play whatever I want here. No one bothers me. Not even mother and father."

"Uh, what exactly do you play up here?" I asked. I was almost afraid of what his answer would be.

"Action figures."

I was relieved.

"I used to enjoy playing those too. In fact, I spent hours and hours with them, making up stories about them being heroes and saving the world."

I peered into the darkness. I didn't see any toys. Just weird equipment.

"What else do you do up here, Draco?"

"Sometimes, I play with my stuffed animal."

It all sounded like good, clean fun. Why then, was I still feeling so uncomfortable?

"I'll show you my toys." He volunteered.

We walked to the other end of the creepy, cobweb-covered attic. After licking my lips, which all of a sudden were incredibly dry, I followed him. Finally, we reached the cabinet.

"You keep your toys locked up?" I asked, in surprise.

"My toy collection is _very_ special." He told me.

With that, he threw open both doors. At that exact moment, another flash of lightning lit up the room. Staring back at me, sitting in neat rows on the shelves inside the cabinet, I saw twenty or thirty action figures and dolls.

"Wow! You sure have lots of toys here."

"I'll show you some of my favourites." Gently, Draco reached inside. He pulled out three.

They were all about the same size, I noticed. But what I found most interesting was the fact that they weren't quite the same size an any action figures and dolls I'd ever seen sold in stores. They weren't as long and thin the way that toys always were. Yet they weren't as big as baby toys or as small like some others I had played with. After all, it wasn't that long since I'd been into toys myself.

Draco handed me the first one, "This is Viktor. He was my first." He said proudly.

I took Viktor from Draco. I was immediately struck by the fact that he was made of something strange, a plastic that didn't feel like any plastic I'd ever felt before. It was much softer—almost like real skin. The colour was unusual as well. It wasn't alone colour. Some areas were darker than most.

He's face also looked very lifelike. In fact, peering down at the doll in the dim light, I almost felt as if he were about to talk to me. What an imagination! I warned myself. As if to prove myself was getting carried away again, I looked down and studied the doll's clothes. He was wearing a football suite with the letters "D.H." on the back.

"D.H. Just like Dumstrung High. That's a high school a few miles from here."

I was about to ask him how he picked the name when he handed me another doll, a girl this time.

"This doll's name is Fleur."

Fleur was very pretty indeed. She was wearing a cheerleader's uniform with the letters "B.H." on the side.

"Beauxbaton High." I whispered to myself.

Funny that the dolls weren't exactly the same size.

Draco handed me the third doll.

"This one's my _real _favourite. He's new. I just got him last Spring." He said.

I looked at the doll. He had brown hair and blue eyes. I kept staring at it. Suddenly I felt a wave of heat rush over my entire body. There was something about this doll, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was probably just the way he was dressed, I told myself. After all, this doll was wearing the exact same kind of sweater the kids in the high school in my tow wore.

They were yellow and red with black letters in the back that read "H.H.S" for Hogwarts High School. Of course, I didn't actually own one of those. But I saw kids wearing them everywhere I ever went. And this doll's sweater looked so real that I was starting to grow edgy.

"He has a really cool name too. He's name's Cedric." Draco said.

I froze right then and there.

In an instant I knew why this doll looked so familiar.

He was exactly like the guy who, a few months earlier, had had his picture in the newspaper nearly every day for one solid month. A guy who was a junior at Hogwarts High School—until he was reported missing. A guy who the police said had disappeared on his way home from babysitting one night.

A guy with brown hair and blue eyes... a guy named Cedric.

In a flash, everything came at me at once. The science lab in the attic, the giant cage in the basement, the dogs and cat collars, Draco's love for dolls and stuffed animals. My fingers clamped tightly around the doll named Cedric. My mind buzzing so loudly I could hardly think straight.

Finally, I understood. Draco used his lab to turn living things into toys! And I was the new sitter!

I dropped Cedric to the floor with a loud crash. I jumped two feet into the air.

"Be careful! You'll break him!" he cried.

My mind raced. Suddenly, all I could think about was the fact that I had to get out of there—fast. I scramble to my feet.

"What's wrong Harry? Don't you want to see the rest of my toys?" Draco demanded.

"Sure, but, uh, there's something I have to do first."

"What?"

I tried to think up of an excuse. And then an idea popped into my head.

"I have to call my parents." I said, smiling.

He didn't seem to worry so I slowly made my way to the door.

"Be careful. Don't break anything!" he cried as I accidentally bumped into a table.

The test tubes rattled, making such a racket, they sounded as if they were going to crash into the floor any second.

"I won't." I assured him.

I finally made it to the narrow staircase. Sliding my hands on the wall to keep my balance, I ran down the steps as quickly as I could. I felt as if I were in one of those nightmares I have sometimes where my feet feel like they've been covered in concrete.

When I got downstairs, I found the phone and picked up the receiver, it was cordless and I wasn't sure which button to press. But there was no dial tone. Was it broken? I wondered, struggling to remain calm. Or maybe my terror had simply turned me into too much of a klutz to figure out how to work something as simple as a telephone.

I had to think. And then I remembered.

The porch!

I made my way to the kitchen but then heard footsteps. Draco was coming down the stairs.

"Harry? Where are you, Harry? I know you're here somewhere. You can't hide from me, you know. Sooner or later I'll find you." He called out.

I swallowed hard. I thought about hiding somewhere. Frantically, I glanced around. It was so dark I could hardly see. From the outside the kitchen door, I could hear Draco getting closer and closer. It was hopeless. He was right. No matter where I try to hide, he would find me.

"Harry? I'm coming to get you!"

When he got there, he was holding a jogging suite.. I was standing by the phone when he got there.

"I hope you like this jogging suite. I want you to put it on, since it's _your_ turn now." He smiled widely.

Draco pushed me into the back porch as he handed me this suite.

"I hope it fits!" he cried before slamming the door shut.

I knew I couldn't wait until he leaves, thinking that Draco was just there, standing by the door.

I was beginning to see yellow and green spots in front of my eyes. I couldn't figure out what was happening. And the fact that my mind was getting cloudier with each passing second didn't help. Then it hit me.

The Hocus-Pocus Juice! That special juice Draco made and then insisted that I drink must have had something in it to make me tired. Suddenly, beside yellow and green spots, I started to see red and blue. It was at that exact same moment that my knees gave way, sending m sprawling across the cold, hard floor.

I tried to get back up and think of a way out. Then I remembered Patches. I saw a small tear on the screen and began tugging to make a bigger whole for me to fit.

"I have to get out of here!" I slapped myself on the cheeks.

With that, I climbed up onto the windowsill and pushed as hard as I could against the torn screen. Fitting through the whole wasn't easy but I managed. Never in my life had being out in the pouring rain felt so good. I had to get out of the Malfoy's property as fast as I possibly could.

When I got out the iron gates, I ran along Hollow Drive. There didn't appear to be any other houses around, just trees and fields, nearly hidden by the rain. My chest was starting to hurt from running. My pounding heart didn't help either. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever find a phone or if I'd end up running the five miles back to my house when I spotted aflash of silver up ahead.

Running towards it, I saw it was a phone booth. Next to it was a deserted old building that looked like it had once been a store or a gas station. I stuck my hand in my pocket, pulled out a quarter and dialled. My father answered on the third ring."

"Hello?" he said pleasantly.

"Dad? It's Harry. You've got to come and pick me up—now!"

"Harry? Where are you?"

"Outside the Malfoy's house. Please come get me as soon as you can!"

"is everything alright?"

"I'll explain when I see you. Just come! I'm a hundred feet up Hollow Road. I'll be waiting!"

The call ended automatically and I dashed to the side of the road. Through the pounding of the rain, iheard a thin, high-pitched voice.

"Harry? Harry is that you?"

I whirled around, fear shooting through me.

"Where are you Harry? I know you're out there somewhere."

I wanted to run farther and hide but my body fell on the cold, wet pavement. I closed my eyes, eager for sleep. Just before I drifted off, I heard Draco's voice, somewhere in the distance.

"Where are you Harry? You know you can't run away from me!"

Then, there was nothing but blackness.

**-The End-**


	7. Severus Snape by Monse

Title: **Never Assume**

Character: **Severus Snape**

House: **Slytherin**

Name :**Slytherin Head (Monse)**

It was official, Lucius Malfoy was insane. Not to mention he was a very dead man once Severus got a hold of him. He couldn't understand what in the world would possess Lucius to set him up on a blind date. And not just any blind date; a blind date with Hermione Granger, as in the Hermione Granger who's best friends just happened to be Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Also, this happened to be the same Hermione Granger who was twenty years younger than he. How did Lucius expect them to find any common ground? He was old, always in a foul mood, and the last person anyone would want to spend time with. While Hermione, on the other hand, was young, beautiful, intelligent, and one of the most sought out people in England.

To be honest, he really should have known something was wrong when he had gone to Malfoy Manor after receiving an invitation from Lucius to dinner. Narcissa looked as though she had just found a bag full of Galleons under her pillow throughout the entire time he was there. No woman could be that giddy with joy and not be up to something. During his time with them, she kept throwing small glances at him, making him uncomfortable. By the time Lucius announced he had a surprise for him, she was practically jumping in her seat. When Lucius finally told him of his surprise, Severus deemed it a miracle Narcissa hadn't passed out from all the excitement.

After minutes of arguing with Lucius and Narcissa that he didn't want to go on a "blind date," he left the Manor as quickly as possible. He could hear Lucius shout out that he would see him later that week at the small lake party they would be throwing in light of Draco's engagement to Astoria Greengrass.

And now, here he was, standing outside of Gringotts like a complete idiot.

Lucius had told him that he would find his date standing outside of Flourish and Botts. He had said in his note that he had sent Severus the following morning after their dinner invitation that she would be wearing a purple sundress. Severus had spotted her even before he had completely left Gringotts, since he had gotten money to pay for the date. He hadn't wanted to believe it. In fact, he thought it was just a coincidence that Hermione was wearing the same thing that his date was suppose to be wearing. But after a couple of minutes of just waiting and watching how she seemed to look a tad depressed, he finally walked up to her and asked if Lucius had set her up as well.

It turned out that Narcissa had been the one to "convince" her to do this. When he had been prompted to ask why she had agreed to it, her answered was simply, "Please don't ask. I'm still trying to figure that one out myself."

Not wanting to continue to stand outside, he took her into the bookshop. It was the only thing he could think of that she would want to do considering her love for books. After entering, the two of them, in quiet agreement, made their way towards the Potions section of the store. Both looking at some of the new herbal books that had been recently published.

"So..." her soft voice said, breaking his train of thought. "I hear you started your own business."

"Yes, well, there wasn't much for me to do after the Final Battle. Minerva took her rightful place as Headmistress, and the Board of Directors didn't want an ex-Death Eater-turned-spy teaching. So, I decided that since I had saved up enough of my money during my years at Hogwarts, I would try my hand in the world of business."

"You wouldn't have been happy being stuck at Hogwarts anyhow, would you? You hated teaching."

Looking at her for a second, Severus couldn't help the smirk that graced his face. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

"What? Why?" she asked, her voice laced with indignation. Several people looked in their direction, wondering what the trouble was.

Looking at the book in his hands, Severus took his time reading the jacket before answering her questions.

"This might come as a shock to you, but believe it or not, I actually did enjoy being a teacher. It had been my first choice of a career when I was in my fifth year. I just never wanted to teach Potions."

"We all knew you always wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," Hermione said.

"I always did wonder how that rumor came about."

Hermione looked at him with confusion in her eyes. " What do you mean by 'rumor'? It was obvious you always wanted that job!"

Severus simply shook his head as he picked another book off the bookcase. "I always wanted to teach History."

"History! You're jesting!"

"I can assure you, my dear, that I do not jest."

He noticed how she looked at him, but he couldn't place the emotion. It was as if she was looking at him with slight curiosity; a look that almost willed him to realize something. But it was gone before he could truly figure it out.

"But you were always asking for the Dark Arts position, and Dumbledore would never give it to you."

"Did any of you ever see me ask for that particular teaching position?" Severus asked. He watched as she thought for a minute before shaking her head in response. "Of course not. I wanted Dumbledore to let me teach History, but he would never let me-told me that I was better off teaching Potions. He thought Binns was doing a fabulous job in teaching you lot about our world's history."

"So, it was all just a rumor?" Hermione asked with a stunned look on her face.

"Yes."

Intrigued she leaned against the bookshelf to look at him better. "So, is the rumor of you being a vampire true?" her voice had a small teasing tone to it, making Severus wonder why she was asking all those questions.

Putting the book he had been holding back in it's proper place, he said, "My dear, have you not noticed that it is daylight out? If I were a vampire, wouldn't I have combusted into flames when I arrived outside Gringotts?"

"You are a Potions master, you could have created a sunscreen strong enough to protect you," Hermione said with a small smirk.

Severus simply chuckled lightly before moving to the cashier to pay for their books. "Then how can you explain my childhood? I can assure you, I was not born a Potions master."

Hermione was quiet as she handed him the two books she had chosen. "Well... you could have been bitten when you graduated from Hogwarts. Remus used to say that no one saw you for at least three years after you all left Hogwarts. He said that when you had resurfaced, that you were different."

Paying for the books he took them from the cashier, shrunk them and placed them in the pocket's of his coat. "I was in Italy studying under Master Mancini's instructions. He was the only Potions master that was close enough for me to travel to. I can assure you, I had no wishes to travel to Chile, where I knew absolutely no one."

"But I thought you were in ranks with the Death Eaters by that time!"

Gesturing at Hermione to walk ahead of him and out the shop, he said, "No. That's what Dumbledore wanted everyone to think. Honestly, I never wanted to be part of that band of idiots, but I was apparently the only person suitable for the job."

"But then, were all the memories you gave Harry lies?"

Severus stopped walking and looked at Hermione. Her face was red in anger, and she looked as if she was ready to hex him half-way across the world. Stepping closer to her, he gently said, "Those memories were true. My childhood was far from perfect, Lily Evans was my best friend until the end of our fifth year, and I was the one who had passed on the Prophecy to Tom Riddle. The only thing that was not true was my affiliation with the Death Eaters. I never wanted that sort of power, I never wanted to taint my soul with that sort of evil."

"I really should stop assuming things, shouldn't I?" Hermione asked in a timid voice.

"It would help to keep arguments from arising every five minutes," Severus responded with a small smirk.

With a quick smile from her, he took her hand and placed in on his arm, leading them down Diagon Alley. He didn't want to treat her to lunch in a place where everyone seemed to be gawking at them. He knew a nice place in Muggle London that he knew she would love.

"I honestly can't help it, though. Everything I've ever heard about you and assumed I knew about you was never true. It's like I'm really on a date with a total stranger."

Severus looked at her as he guided them to the Leaky Cauldron. "I always expected you to be one of the few who didn't think I was a vampire."

He heard her chuckle slightly at that. "I never did," she said. "The signs where obvious to those who knew them. But you have to admit, you did fit the description of one quite perfectly. Even Harry said that when he saw you flying out the window before the Final Battle started, you looked like a huge bat flying in the sky."

"I have no comment to that statement," was Severus' simple reply.

They continued walking, neither one of them was in a hurry to leave even though they were receiving a lot of stares from the people shopping around Diagon Alley.

"Miss Granger..."

"Hermione," she said firmly. Stopping she turned to look at him straight in his eyes. "I think that under these conditions, we could call each other by our given names?"

His lips twitched in an almost smile as he nodded in agreement and once again took her hand, placing it on his arm. "Hermione, would you mind terribly if I asked a somewhat personal question?"

"Well, we are on a date. That's what people do on dates, isn't it? Get to know each other by asking questions."

"Very well." With a small pause he braced himself for her reaction. He knew that she might not want to answer, and the possibilities of her overreacting were high. "Would you mind telling me the truth?"

"What truth?" she asked. Her voice had changed in tone, and he could feel her tensing just the slightest bit.

"The truth-being how Narcissa managed to get you to agree to a blind date?"

She was quiet for a long time, and before he knew it, they were already standing in front of the brick wall which would allow them to make their way into the Leaky Cauldron. Unable to keep a small sigh from escaping his lips, he took her hand from his arm and took out his wand. It seemed to him like he had ruined the day for the both of them.

Even if he knew she had lied to him, he shouldn't have asked her. He should have just gone on with his plans and then escorted her back to her home. After that he could have gone back to his home and planned on how to get back at Lucius and Narcissa.

"I asked her."

"What?" he asked. He had almost missed the words that she had spoken but was sure he had heard them. "What did you say?" he asked again when she didn't respond.

She was looking at the floor, but even then he could see that she was embarrassed at her confession. Walking up to her, he took her chin in his hand and gently lifted her face to look at him.

"She wanted me to go to Draco's engagement party. After the war, Draco and I formed a... small friendship, if you will. She found out about it and seized it as an opportunity to show the public that her family never hated Muggle-borns and were simply forced to act the way they did."

Severus watched as she took his hand and examined it bit by bit. All the small cuts and burns were inspected with great interest. "I had already planned on going to the party. Astoria and I have been friends since before the war. Narcissa didn't know of course. When she approached me, she had said she would do anything if I were to attend. I almost said no, just to see what she would do. But then I thought, 'Why not?' and asked her if she could possibly set up a date for me with you."

"Why with me?" Severus asked. "Why me, when you could probably have any man you wanted?"

Lacing her finger with his, she said, "Do you want the clichéd answer?"

"I would like an honest answer, please."

"I chose you, Severus Snape, because every time I hear your name, my heart feels like it's about to run away just to find you. Every time I hear your voice, everything around me fades into the background. I chose you, because I'm truly, madly, deeply in love with you."

Severus could feel his face heating up with embarrassment from her confession. Surely she must be joking. There was no way anyone could possibly love him. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" he asked with a slight sneer in his tone. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you are all of a sudden in love with me; when not ten minutes ago, you didn't even know me?"

"You honestly don't remember do you?" Hermione asked sadly.

"Remember what, exactly?"

"Those weeks when you were fighting against Nagini's venom."

Severus looked at her in confusion, wondering what she was talking about. "There's not much to remember. I was bitten and then I woke up in St. Mungo's feeling as if Hagrid had played football and used me as the ball."

He saw her struggle with what she wanted to tell him. Wondering how much she should say. What had happened that he didn't know, yet she did? Severus looked on as she bit her lip and gave him a sideways glance before taking a deep breath.

"It was Ginny and I who had found you. As soon as we realized that you were still alive, I sent my Partonus to Poppy telling her where you were and your condition. When she got there she used her emergency Portkey and took you to the Hospital Wing, immediately working on healing your wound." Here she paused, obviously still remembering that day vividly. "We wanted to transfer you to St. Mungo's along with the rest that were injured, but the risk of you getting injured was too high.

"While you were there, you were running a high fever due to Nagini's venom. Poppy couldn't give you too much of the anti-venom because it would counter-act the other potions she had to give you. I helped her take care of you, Severus. I couldn't let Poppy wear herself out, you saw how worn out she was because of the Carrows. While she tended to herself, I watched over you. I took that time to try and figure you out. One night, when your fever had spiked up we started talking. You told me how you wished you could have stayed in Italy longer. I thought you were imagining it, but then you started speaking Italian, apologizing to your master for not being able to take over his business."

Severus didn't know whether to be angry that she seemed to have gotten his whole life story from him while he was so ill or amused that she had learned more about him while he was out cold then most people learned while torturing him.

"Everything you told me during those days when I looked after you," she continued, "is something I treasure so very much. You see, in those days I came to realize just what an amazing human being you are. Do you remember the Potioneers convention in Milan?"

The sudden change in topic threw Severus off. Not trusting his voice to work he simply nodded his head.

"Do you remember a woman by the name of Jean Elstworth?"

Shock ran through Severus' body at the mention of Jean Elstworth. He had met her at the convention and had even gone on a couple of dates with her during that month he had been there. She had been quite the conservationist, and he had had some of the most enjoyable debates that he could ever remember having with anyone. "How did you know?"

She smiled shyly at him before answering, "I had been invited to that same convention. Professor Slughorn had mentioned my name to the people organizing it, and they asked me to come. Obviously, I couldn't let the opportunity pass by, so I agreed to go, but under one condition: that I could go undercover. I didn't want people to know that I was going, so I told them to register me under the name of Jean Elstworth."

"And not once, during that time we spend talking, could you have told me who you really were?" Severus asked with a scowl.

Before she could answer a group of elderly witches shoved them out of the way. It seemed they had been standing behind them waiting for one of them to open the wall. Taking her hand, Severus moved them towards the small cafe shop next to the entrance. Asking for two waters, so they wouldn't be asked to leave, he turned to Hermione, and with a small wave of his hand motioned her to go on.

"Because," she stated sadly. "You would have told me to bugger off. It was still two years after the Final Battle, and you could not stand the sight of Harry, Ron and I. I knew that if I told you who I really was you would never talk to me the way you did with 'Jean'."

He watched as she took one of his hands in hers. The gesture, so familiar from all those times that Jean had done it, yet watching Hermione do it, made his heart do a somersault.

"Why? Why ask me all those questions back there in the bookstore, if you already knew the answers?" he asked her.

"I wanted to see if you would give me the same answers that you had given me when I had taken care of you and later on when I pretended to be Jean."

Severus was quiet as he pondered everything she had told him. "If you knew all of this," he stated, "why were you so upset when I mentioned that I had never wanted to be a Death Eater and that it had all been Dumbledore's idea to lie to everyone."

A smug smile was thrown at him as she said, "Mum, always thought I would be good at theater."

"You mean to tell me that all of this has just been an act?" The urge to leave her there and go back to his house was strong. He had been played a fool, since the moment they had started talking.

"No! Severus, I did not lie when I said I love you. I felt something for you when I was taking care of you, it wasn't until the convention, that I realized my feelings for you."

A heavy silence hung about them as he tried to decided whether to trust her word or not. "I must confess, that I had seen a bit of the real you in Jean...How... how will I know that you will not be like Lily, and throw me out as soon as you get tired of me?"

He had not meant to say those words, but they had escaped his lips before he had truly thought about what he wanted to say. They were true though; his mind had thought of Hermione often when he had been with Jean. He had thought that both of them were so eager to learn, yearning to learn and to help those in need with their knowledge. He had quickly tried to send any sentiments he felt for Hermione to the deepest reaches of Hell. There was no way that she would ever feel anything for him.

But now, now that he knew the whole truth. Could he actually let his heart out of its shell and give it to someone to care for it?

"Tell me, what exactly do I gain by lying to you?" Hermione questioned him, letting go of his hand.

In all honesty, there was nothing. Sure he could claim that all she wanted was to make fun of him, but the Hermione Granger he knew would never do that. Unless it was something about Rita Skeeker, then she might make an exception. Other than that, there was no reason why he should be suspicious of her motives.

"I'm not a nice man."

"And Merlin forbid I should ever accuse you of being one."

"I'm.."

"Severus Snape, if you say you're too old for me, I'm afraid I'll have to duel you right here, right now."

One look into her eyes confirmed how serious she was. Hermione Granger was living up to her reputation and was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Look," she said, letting her temper simmer down a tad. "Just, give us a chance. I promise, if things don't work out between us in two months, then I'll gladly admit that I was wrong, but I don't want to live my life wondering what could have happened between us."

"Don't you want to _assume_ what might happen?" Severus teased her.

Hermione pretended to look offended but couldn't help looking at him with pleading eyes.

"So," he said as he took her hand in his. They both stood up and made their way back to the brick wall. "Should I pick you up at your flat, or would you like to meet at Malfoy Manor next week for the engagement party?"

"Actually," Hermione said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Why don't we meet tomorrow? I need help finding Narcissa a thank you gift for giving me the opportunity to finally confess to you."

Severus felt her small hand squeeze his as she waited for him to form the pattern on the brick wall that would allow them to enter the Leaky Cauldron.

"Very well, but you'll have to come with me to Mr. Weasley's shop and pick out a little present for Lucius."

Hermione soft laughter made him almost want to smile himself.

* * *

___I would like to thank my amazing beta, debjunk, for all her help with this story. Also, thank you to XoXSectumsempraXoX for looking over this and giving me her opinion._


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